Hemant Soren files police complaint against Enforcement Directorate officials
Jharkhand, Jan 31 : Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has filed a police complaint against Enforcement Directorate officials, seeking action under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. This comes as probe agency officials on Wednesday questioned Soren at his residence in Ranchi in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
This is the second time that Hemant Soren is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in over 10 days. He was earlier questioned in connection with the case on January 20.
Hemant Soren in his letter to the police said the ED officials named in the complaint had “carried out a purported search” at his official residence in Delhi. “This purported search was without any notice to me nor was my presence required on January 29 in New Delhi by the named persons (ED officials),” Soren mentioned in the complaint.
He said that the officials in questions “leaked selective misinformation that a blue BMW car seized from the said premises belong to me, huge sums of illicit cash belonging to me was found at the said premises.”
“I am not the owner of the car of BMW make…I do not own any illicit cash,” Hemant Soren said.
He said that the ED actions had been to “humilate him in public”.
He said he and his family have “suffered and experienced immense mental, psychological, and emotional harm” because of the actions of the ED officials and called upon the police to take action against them.
Meanwhile, to keep the law and order situation under control, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed in Ranchi. The probe agency officials had sought extra security during questioning.
Security personnel deployed outside the residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)
Legislators of the ruling JMM-led coalition gathered at Hemant Soren’s residence on Wednesday ahead of his questioning by the Enforcement Directorate.
Hemant Soren is being questioned as part of an investigation into a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand, according to the probe agency officials.
The Enforcement Directorate officials had seized Rs 36 lakh, an SUV and some “incriminating” documents during search operations at his house in Delhi on Monday.
Meanwhile, Hemant Soren has alleged that the financial agency probe’s actions were “motivated by political agenda” to disrupt the state government’s functioning.
-PTI
